


never be the poster type (they don’t make posters of my kind of life)

by saiditallbefore



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Jane vs government agents, Not Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-30
Updated: 2018-10-30
Packaged: 2019-08-08 06:17:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16424012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiditallbefore/pseuds/saiditallbefore
Summary: There was a time in Jane’s life when the only special agents she’d ever seen were on television, when she’d never seen a weapon in real life.When Natasha Romanoff arrives to guard Dr. Jane Foster, neither woman finds what they expect.





	never be the poster type (they don’t make posters of my kind of life)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GlassesOfJustice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlassesOfJustice/gifts).



> Title is from America’s Sweetheart by Elle King.

Jane is in her lab, double-checking a few equations, when the agent shows up.

The woman doesn’t have a badge, and any weapons she’s carrying are well-concealed, but she walks like a special agent, carries herself like a special agent. 

There was a time in Jane’s life when the only special agents she’d ever seen were on television, when she’d never seen a weapon in real life. But she’s been approached and threatened by agents from every agency from SHIELD to Hydra, from MI-6 to the GRU. They all want to get their hands on a working Einstein-Rosen bridge.

Jane tilts her head at the woman, trying to figure out where she’s seen this particular agent before. “Who do you work for?”

The woman smiles disarmingly. “I work for a lab based in Alaska. We’ve been getting some anomalous readings, similar to what you’ve described in your papers. Since you’re the closest expert— the only expert, really— we were hoping you would be willing to visit and take a look.”

Jane snorts. “Bull _shit_.” 

The woman raises an eyebrow. “I’m sorry?”

“Just tell me which agency you’re working for,” Jane says. “That way I know how angry I should be.”

The woman’s body language changes almost imperceptibly. “I’m not currently affiliated with any agency.”

Jane turns back to her equations. This conversation is wasting time— precious time she could be spending on scientific breakthroughs.

“My name is Natasha Romanoff,” the woman offers. “Until recently, I worked for SHIELD, but now—”

“Oh!” Jane exclaims. “You’re an Avenger! I _knew_ I’d seen you somewhere.” 

Natasha’s lips quirk. “You don’t watch much news, do you, Dr. Foster?”

“Why?” Jane asks, suddenly worried. “Is something happening?” She’d been so absorbed in her work that she’d missed the Battle of New York. If aliens had invaded again and she’d missed it…

“We’ve intercepted a credible threat against you,” Natasha says. “I need you to come with me to a secured location until it’s been taken care of.”

“Absolutely not.” Jane gestures behind her. “I’m not leaving my research!”

“Doctor Foster—”

“If you’re so worried, you can keep an eye on me here. I’m not leaving.” Jane and Natasha glare at each other for a long moment, but Natasha looks away first.

The other woman sighs. “Let me grab my things.”

* * *

Natasha is surprisingly unintrusive. She still moves like a special agent, but when she’s trailing Jane around she dresses in oversized hooded sweatshirts and wears her hair down. If someone didn’t know what to look for, Natasha would pass as a lab assistant.

Sometimes, when she’s buried in her work, Jane forgets that she’s _not_ a lab assistant. She asks Natasha to take notes, or find a paper, or check a reading— and Natasha almost always obliges, looking amused as she does. 

Natasha is there for a few weeks before Jane gets a promising reading. 

“Does that mean the Bifrost is open?” Natasha asks, looking over Jane’s shoulder at the wildly flashing screen.

“It could.” Jane sweeps the necessary equipment into a bag, and strides toward her van. “Or another portal. Or it could be nothing.”

Natasha hums acknowledgment. “What would cause those readings, if it’s not a portal?”

Jane pauses as they both scramble into her van. As she pulls into the road, she tries to explain. “That’s one of the things I’m studying. I’m not convinced that ‘nothing’ is really correct— my working hypothesis is that those readings mean a portal has been opened somewhere else.”

“But not on Earth.” Natasha sounds content with this outcome. 

“It’s a huge universe out there, and there’s a lot we haven’t learned.” Jane grins wildly. “Besides, maybe it _is_ something!”

“You know, most people would be satisfied at being the first point of contact for _one_ alien race.”

Jane laughs. She’s never been like most people.


End file.
